The Unix-based concepts behind TextMate would seem to put it at the leading edge of text editing, where all manner of text manipulations occur with the magic of a few keystrokes (we don't need no stinkin' mouse). Lots of keystroke combinations to remember, but the time savings for those who use these shortcut assistants should be significant on a daily basis. Yet it's a big-picture coding/programming app that remains flexible and doesn't get bogged down by specialization. For those who appreciate this type of mindset, it's fabulous.

OTOH, it isn't as mature as BBEdit, which is expected, given the 7-version difference. BBEdit can validate html code site-wide, while TextEdit can validate only one file at a time (I'm still reading the manual to double-check this). BBEdit then can whisk you from the error list to the text in question, while in TextMate, you have to note the error line number in the validation window and then locate it in the file. That's a huge time saver in BBEdit on a web site consisting of a hundred text files or more. Also, BBEdit works well with DreamWeaver, for those of us who admit to using it, as I do, when push comes to shove.

But it's clear that TextMate has the structural underpinnings and focussed development to potentially leave everything else in the dust within a few versions. For those who jump on now, I think it's a wise investment.